A Word on Suffering...



This past weekend we observed Jesus praying in the garden with deep agony. He wanted His closest friends close. He was in the midst of a great tribulation that would lead to a Roman cross. He prayed for the Father to take this cup of suffering and wrath away but in the end, Jesus yielded Himself to the greater will of God (see again Matthew 26:36-56). Jesus chose the difficult way because He knew the great joy it would bring to the world (Hebrews 12:1-3). Wow.

I hate to admit it but, If given the choice, I'd generally pick comfort over discomfort. That's right - I'd select pleasure over pain and having fun over well, not having fun.

Who's with me?

However, EASY is not true to the human experience. That's also not the reality for the followers of Jesus. He told us that in this world we WILL have trouble but in that, we could take heart because He's overcome the worst (John 16:33).

We don't want to suffer and go through difficulties but, we can seek the Lord through them and allow trials to teach and grow us to maturity.

I read this today:

“The most deeply taught Christians are generally those who have been brought into the searching fires of deep soul-anguish. If you have been praying to know more of Christ, do not be surprised if He takes you aside into a desert place, or leads you into a furnace of pain.”
Do not punish me, Lord, by taking my cross from me, but comfort me by submitting me to Thy will, and by making me to love the cross. Give me that by which Thou shalt be best served … and let me hold it for the greatest of all Thy mercies, that Thou shouldst glorify Thy name in me, according to Thy will.—A Captive’s Prayer.

[Cowman, L. B. (1925). Streams in the Desert (p. 322). The Oriental Missionary Society.]

If you are going through a particular season of suffering and are in that 'valley of the shadow of death' or maybe your 'Gethsemane', there is hope.

Here's the good encouragement from Paul's letter to the Romans:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we[c] rejoice[d] in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

-Romans 5:1-5 ESV

Walking with you in Christ, our living hope through any suffering!
Pastor Ben


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